Saturday, June 23, 2018

Information for Tourists Planning to Visit Bakun’s Waterfalls, Mountains and Other Tourist Spots

If you are planning to head over to the municipality of Bakun in Benguet to climb its mountains or explore its numerous waterfalls, be aware that there’s a protocol you must follow. First of all, you should inform barangay Poblacion that you are coming. Barangay Poblacion is the town’s tourism center because it serves as base camp for majority of the visitors exploring the town’s tourist destinations. Give them a heads-up days before you travel there. The contact details of the people you should talk to are provided in the document below.

After arrival in Poblacion, it’s mandatory that you register, pay the necessary fees, and secure guides before you depart towards a tourist spot. The fees and rates are detailed in the following document.

Note: This is a document I copied verbatim from files sent to me by the Barangay Tourism Council. If you think there are errors or inconsistencies with it, please direct your inquiries at the Barangay Tourism Council, not to me.

II. Arrival
All hikers visiting the Bakun Trio and other tourist spots should drop by at the Tourist Assistance Center located at the Barangay Hall to register, secure permit, pay necessary fees and be given a briefing. However, hikers going to Mt. Lobo and Nagasa Cave using the Dada route (traverse to Poblacion proper, base camp) are advised to register and pay environment fee at the Dada Multi-Purpose Building. Hikers going to Mt. Tenglawan using the Sinacbat route is likewise to follow same protocol above upon arrival to Poblacion proper.

Tour Guide Fees
Hikers are required to engage with a tour guide in a ratio of 1-6 individuals. If you exceed 6 individuals, you will have to pay the guide 100 per excess. But you should not exceed 8 individuals. If you are beyond 8 individuals, you are going to need two guides.

Note: When the duration set for the route exceeds the target number of hours, there is an additional fee of 50 pesos per hour for Mt. Kabunian and Mt. Lubo while 100 pesos per hour for Mt. Tenglawan.

Tekip Falls: 300 per guide. Tour is maximum of three hours. For every excess of one hour, add 50 pesos.
Bagiw River: 250 per guide. Tour is maximum of three hours. For every excess of one hour, add 50 pesos.
Pikaw Falls: 500 per guide. Tour is maximum of five hours. For every excess of one hour, add 50 pesos.
Sakup Falls: 400 per guide. Tour is maximum of five hours. For every excess of one hour, add 50 pesos.
Pattan Falls: 500 per guide. Tour is maximum of six hours. For every excess of one hour, add 50 pesos.
Mt. Kabunian (from barangay Kayapa/Kibungan) to Poblacion: 800 per guide
Poblacion – Mt. Kabunian – Kayapa/Kibungan – 800 per guide

Note: All the fees will be collected at the tourist assistance center (barangay hall) upon registration.

III. Hiking
Hikers/hiking groups have their own set of rules to follow. However, while inside the Bakun Trio, you are advised to follow these pointers:
1. Hikers must designate strong hikers (especially for big groups) who could act as sweepers to take care of slow hikers.
2. All hikers must always be guided by the mountaineer’s credo: take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but foot prints, and kill nothing but time.
3. For trail junctions where there are no trail signs, advance group members should make temporary directional signs for others to follow.
4. No hikers are allowed to bring with them liquor and dangerous drugs.
5. For smokers, properly put off cigarettes to avoid forest fires.
6. Hikers who camp in the tourist sites must construct their tents at the designated camp site.
7. Fill up water bottles before hiking. In areas where springs are available, the water is potable for people who do not have sensitive stomachs.
8. Respect the indigenous people’s culture. The culture may be different from yours but it is their culture. You are in their cultural ground.
9. Hiking should be fun. It is not a race. Take time to enjoy what nature offers. It is free.
10. Lastly, safety first at all times.

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